In The Dark
by DHMelChan
Summary: Can't really say much without giving all away. My first attempt at L&O SVU. One-shot. The rating's just for safety. Please read and review.


**A/N: Well, as this is my first fic for Law and Order SVU, I thought I'd just try a one-shot. Can't really say too much about it, but it gets the point across, I think. Please read and review, feel free to tear it apart.**

"You're late," I breathed, staring at the lean silhouette that had frozen in my doorway when I'd switched on the table lamp to my right.

"I know, I'm sorry," she replied, her shoulders sagging as she relaxed and stepped into the coat nook I'd had built into the foyer. Her voice was muffled as she struggled with her coat and explained herself at the same time. "It's work, I was trapped doing paperwork. Just a bad situation, overall."

As she rambled on, I listened intently to the sounds of her arrival and settling in. It was a process I knew well by now, our relationship having developed steadily over the past five months. The heavy thud of her boots as she let them drop to the wooden floor, the gentle _swish _of her coat and jacket as she shrugged out of them; both motions were as familiar to me as breathing. I could visually conjure the sight of her back, the tight, taut muscles moving under the material of her shirt as she removed layer after layer. She had stopped speaking and I knew she'd moved into the kitchen. Sure enough, I heard the faint _clink _of a wine glass as she poured herself some Pinot Noir, either the St. Vivant or the Chambolle; either one pleased her immensely after a particularly long day. I cradled the tumbler of J&B that I had poured for no particular reason, other than that tonight was a night I needed to lose myself and forget who I was.

With her glass in hand, she walked towards me in the dim light, and I felt her hand at the base of my neck as she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I closed my eyes and inhaled her familiar scent; I could still detect the pleasant aroma of her leather jacket. It clung to her, especially since she'd been wearing it out in the cold.

"I'm sorry again," she murmured, her lips brushing mine as she spoke. I gave her a small smile and leaned my head against hers.

"It's okay," I whispered. I brought my hand up to run it through her short-cropped brown hair, enjoying the sensation of the silky strands as they filtered through my fingers. If I closed my eyes and concentrated long enough, I could smell the shampoo she used for her morning wash, a light, cucumber-melon concoction that I had bought for her once on a whim, and that she'd stuck with ever since.

This is what it was like for me, in the dark, when she got home. I could shut my eyes to the world and she was all that existed, here with me in my home. Our days were equally taxing and our hours ran against each other, but at the end of all trials and hurdles, here in the dark in my home, it was just me and her. The world melted away, and my home, my bedroom, was sanctuary. On nights like this, when she ran late, I worried; it couldn't be helped, my experiences had made me somewhat paranoid. But what she lacked in punctuality, she was always here, with a cocky smirk and rueful hand through her hair.

"I forgive you," I said, my smile widening as she pulled me out of the armchair and pulled me down the hall.

The path to the bedroom, well-memorized by now, was punctuated by pauses for deep, slow kisses pressed against the walls, and breathless promises of pleasure. It was, as always, a fight for control, but for once I planned to relinquish it willingly, half-heartedly grasping at her buttons and zipper as she bit and licked at my neck, her hands roaming over my body, igniting a blaze of desire wherever cool fingers brushed warm skin. I moaned softly, slipping my hands under her shirt and pressing her against the bedroom door, burying my face in her neck and inhaling her delicious scent. Her fingers dipped below the waistline of my pyjama pants, teasing along my bikini line before brushing against my entrance. I gasped at the new sensation and pulled her closer, dragging my teeth along her earlobe and rocking my hips forward. This was it; what I had been longing for all day was coming to me, and as she effortlessly picked me up and carried me to the bed, I sighed contentedly, like a cat stretching in the sun.

"Clothes off, now," she commanded, her tone firm yet gentle, and I did as I was told. Her chocolate brown eyes darkened even further with desire, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she moved towards the bed. I held her gaze for the few moments it took her to strip out of her remaining clothes, knowing that even though it made her self-conscious, she would never look away.

My eyes closed of their own volition when she crawled onto the mattress, my body shifting as she moved closer towards me. My hand drifts to the lamp cord resting against the bedframe, and I calmly plunge the room into total darkness. I hear her sigh of exasperation, and feel her body stretch across mine; seconds later, the lamp is back on and she's balancing over me on her hands. I avoid her eyes and trace lines along her biceps, revelling in the lean muscle beneath them.

"I'd like the light on," she whispered, her lips dancing along my collarbone, sucking lightly at the hollow of my throat. "I love watching you as we make love…the way your skin flushes, and your face changes."

I let a small smile tug the corner of my mouth, deciding to humour her this one night. Encouraged by my response, she slid one hand into my hair, her tan skin almost complementing my blond locks. I trailed my hands along her shoulders, tilted my head back and closed my eyes, shutting out the dim light of the bedside lamp, plunging me into darkness for the rest of the night. Allowing me to take in everything.

_Her hair._

_Her scent._

_Her touch._

_Her mouth._

_Her hips._

_Her mouth...again..._

Even with my eyes closed, her eyes swam at the forefront of my mind, twin pools of laughter, mischief and desire rolled into one irresistible package. In my mind, nearly delirious with pleasure, I could hear myself saying her name, repeating it again and again, like a protective mantra that kept me safe.

_Her eyes..._

In the morning, I felt the bed dip as she sat up and swung her legs outward. Regardless of how deeply I slept, this movement always woke me up and I lay there in silence as the sounds of her morning routine drifted through the house. When the faint scent of brewing coffee hit me, I knew it was almost time for her to leave; she always put coffee on before heading back to her place. I smiled and stretched, waiting for the goodbye kiss that usually accompanied her promise to see me that night. She strode slowly to the bed, and I felt my smile fade, the vibe coming off of her unsettling.

"I'll see you tonight," she said, and she bent to kiss me, but stopped short of my lips.

I waited, holding my breath.

"I just have a question..."

_Damn._

"Who's Olivia?"

_Damn._

"Are you gonna answer me...Emily?"

_DAMN._


End file.
